Towel cabinet



Dec. ll, 1934. F. M. sTElNl-:R ET Al. 1,983,646

` TOWEL CABINET Filed March l2, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 11, 1934. F, M. STEINER ET AL 1,983,646

TOWEL CABINET Filed March 12, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,4free/vers Dec. 11, 1934 F. M. STEINER ET AL 1,983,646

TOWEL CABINET Filed March 12, 1928 s sheets-sheet 5 g/ l i l /c/G- F76.

Iwan/orf FEA/vk MJTE/NER ALBEETLO//ff/OLT TroRHE rs* Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES-f PATENT GFFICE apolis Minnr, assignorst'o Steiner. `Sales- Gompany,l Salt Lake City, Uta-h a. corporation of- Utah Application- March- 12, 1928; Serial` No. 261,151

6 Claims.

Towel* cabinets for. use in toilet or wash rooms are usually provided' with ay rough surfaced. delivery or feed roll over which the web of clean towel is dispensed to the user.. In filling or loading the cabinetwith a clean towel, it is customary to stretch the clean web from the towell supply over. the delivery feedv roll and' form a loop which depends at the front ofthe cabinet in position to be grasped and pulled by the user. The delivery feed roll is usually provided' with a locking or control device that is manipulated by the user to obtain a suitable length of clean web for wiping purposes. When the attendant stretches the web over the feed roll to form a loop of the desired length, he finds it either necessary to raise the web outA of contact with the feed roll', or if he'wishes to drag the web over the roll in contact therewith,4 he is obliged toA trip the control mechanism at' intervals; kThis interferes with the speedy'loading of the cabinet and it is not always convenient for the attendant to raise the web out of contact with the roll and holdk it in` its raised position while theV loop is being formed, and hence the object `of this invention is to provide means'for temporarily yrendering the lock or control device inoperative so that the feed roll will freely revolve whenthewebis in contact therewith anda pull is applied thereto.

A further object is to provide a` meansY for rendering the control mechanism" ineffective which is simple and* inexpensive in construction and will be automatically moved to its working positionl when the cabinet is opened for the purpose of' inserting the clean towel therein.`

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

'Ihe invention consists generally rofvarious constructions and combinations, al1 as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

, In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a towel cabinet embodying our invention;

Figure 2 is afront viewof the same.;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the cabinet opened for loading purposes;

' Figure. 4' is a'. detailed sectional view showing the normal' position ofthe locking or control mechanism.; y v

Figurer 5 isa: detailed sectional vieu/showing the position of thecontrolv mechanism when the key has'lbeen operated` by the user to release the feed rol1; I

Figure 6 isa detailed-sectionalview showing the door. of. the cabinet openedA and the. means in position to render the locking. device temporarily ineffective;l

Figure 'Z is .a sectionalv view` onV the .line 7p-7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8A is a sectional` view on. the lineI 8-8 of Figure 5;

' Figure-9 is a` detailed sectional view illustrating a vmodification ofthe locking. device showing. the normal. position of the parts;

Figure l isr a` detailed vsectional View of the feed roll showing. the modificationl of- Figure 9 inpositionv torender the lock device ineffective; and.

Figure 11` is av sectional view on section line 1.1-1.1 :of Figure l9.

In the drawings, 2y represents the-sidewalls, 3 ythe rear wall, andv 4 the base or bottom having suitable supporting legs of a floor or stand type `of cabinet. y

The upper rear portion: of the cabinet is preferably closed as indicated at 6.

A. panel. 7- also preferably closes the lower forward portion of the cabinet. Within the-cabinet isa shelf or support 8y whereon arsupply of clean towel-9 is placed. This shelf. has a .gate l0 .hinged at 1l. andadapted to swing forwardly and. downwardly as indicated by dotted lines in'Figure 1 to allow access to the space-abovethe shelf andpermit the insertion of aclean supply of. towel within the cabinet.. Adoor 12 is hinged at 13 tothe wall or panel Aand extends downwardly andforwardly with its lower edge contiguousvr to the upper portion vof the kgate 1Y0, and-when the cabinetis-'in use this-gate and door may be locked in their closed position by suitable means. as indicated at 14 in Figure 2. Thiswill prevent an=unauthorizedper son from having access to the interior of the cabinet, but willallow. the: proper attendant to `open they gateand door, or either of them, and have access. toA the towel supply chamber or the de-V livery feed roll. Above thetowelsupply space or chamber we provide a delivery feed rollf15 having. aroughened or frictional surface and mounted in bearings adjacent. the door 12, and. slightly aboveand in the rear of. agap or. opening 16.y that is preferably provided between.A the door 1'2 and the gate 10. Near the upper edge ofthe gate 10, we prefer'to provide a rod 17 over which the web ofclean4 towel is stretched', andv from thence over the 'feed' roll l5 and downwardly through the gap' 16 toftheoutside of the cabinet where'it' can be conveniently grasped by the towel user. Asy shown` plainly iny Figure 1, the side walls of the cabinet belowJ the' shelfl 8l extend forwardly bechamber.

yond that portion of the side walls above the shelf and provide a substantially horizontal opening 18 through which the loop of clean towel may conveniently fall into the soiled towel chamber 19 in the lower portion of the cabinet. A second takeup feed roll 2O is mounted in this chamber and has a sprocket belt connection 21 with the shaft of the feed roll 15 for simultaneous operation in the same direction, and above this feed roll 20, guides 22 are provided in the side walls of the cabinet to receive a takeup roll 23 whereon the web of soiled towel is wound in contact by gravity with the roll 20. Arms 24 are pivoted at 25 in the cabinet and have a rod 26 between them around which the web of towel passes, and yforming a pull back that is raised when the web of towel is drawn forward by the user, and dropped back by gravity when the towel is released to pull the web within the cabinet. The front of the cabinet also has a door 27 pivoted at 28 and adapted to swing upwardly to expose the soiled towel A stop 29 limits the inward movement of this door and a rod 30 is preferably provided at the upper end of the door for contact with the towel to aid in directing it into the soiled towel chamber.

Returning now to the feed roll 15,v a bolt 31 is mounted to slide transversely therein and limited in its movement by a pin 32 which projects into an annular groove 33 in the bolt. This bolt normally protrudes from the feed roll a sufficient distance to enter an opening 34 provided in a stop 35 that is mounted in the wall of the cabinet and in this position the feed roll will be locked and delivery of the towel prevented. A lever 36 is pivot'ed at 37 in the Wall of the cabinet and has a nger piece 38 adapted to be engaged by the user and also has an arm 39 provided with a roller 40 in position to engage a bar 41 that is pivoted at 42 on the stop 35 and has an end portion 43 adapted to project into the opening 34 and engage the slide bolt 31 to move it transversely of the feed roll and disengage it from the stop 35. The normal position of these parts is indicated in Figure 4 and in Figure 5 the position of the parts described is indicated when the lever 36 has been depressed by the user. The feed-roll is in its release position in Figure and may be turned freely to allow feed of the clean towel, and during its revolution the bolt 31 will slide by gravity and return to the position shown in Figure 4 to automatically engage the stop 35 and arrest movement of the feed roll when a revolution has been completed. Obviously, in loading the cabinet with clean towel, it would be awkward and inconvenient for the attendant in drawing the web of clean towel over the feed roll to form the loop, to be obliged to manipulate the release device with 'each revolution of the feed roll, and hence to avoid this objection and inconvenience, we pro- Ivide a slide 44 that is pivotally connected at 45 to the door 12. This slide has an opening 46 normally in register with the opening 34 to allow movement of the locking bolt therein and said slide also has a closed or imperforate portion 47, which, when the door 12 is moved to its open position as indicated by full lines in Figure 6, will be moved to a point directly opposite the end of the bolt 31 and in the path of the part 43 of the bar 41. This imperforate section 47, engaging the end of the bolt 31 as the feed roll is revolved,

`will push it back into the feed roll and prevent it from engaging the stop and checking the revolution of the feed roll, and henceI the attendant having stretched the web of clean towel over the feed roll after opening the door 12 and moving the slide to the position indicated in Figure 6, may freely revolve the feed roll without any attention to the lock device until a loop of clean towel web of the desired length has been formed. The attendant will then close the door 12 and in so doing, the slide 44 will be automatically returned to its release position and the lockdevice may then resume its usual function. The lower end of the slide is preferably provided with a slot 48 to receive a guiding screw 49 mounted in the lower portion of the stop 35, and serving to direct the slide vertically while permitting freedom of movement thereof. By connecting the slide to the door, it is not necessary for the attendant to exercise his memory in the least, the lock device will be automatically rendered operative when the door is closed and the open door would be too conspicuous for the attendant to forget to close it when completing the loading operation, although he might neglect to render the locking device operative, if other effort on his part besides closing the door was necessary.

In Figures 9, and 11 we have shown a modification in the means for rendering the locking bolt ineffective, which consists in providing a band 50 arranged toV encircle the end of the feed roll and having an opening 51 through which the locking bolt is adapted to project, and also having a circumferential slot 52 to receive a pin 53 that is mounted inthe surface of the roll. This band engages the surface of the roll with sufcient friction to hold it normally in position where its opening 5l registers with the end of the locking bolt, but when the bolt has been retracted to the position shown in Figure 1() by the movement of the release lever 36, the attendant may grasp the band 5() and rotate it slightly as indicated in Figure 10, and thereby prevent the bolt from returning to its normal locking position, and allowing the feed roll to revolve freely. When the desired length of towel web has been formed, the attendant will return the band 50 to its normal position and when this modification is used it will be necessary for the attendant to remember to shift the position of this band, for until this is done there will be nothing to prevent the feed roll from revolving continuously when the user applies a pull to the web of clean towel. y

The attendant to load the cabinet, willvunlock the door and gate as previously describedand also open the door 27 and remove the soiled towel roll. Then placing the clean supply within the cabinet, will stretch the clean web over the feed roll and draw out a sufficient length of web to form a loop of the desired length, the feed roll revolving freely to permit this operation, as the lock device has been rendered ineffective by the opening of the door 12. When the web o-f towel has been wound on the takeup roll with a loop 4of the desired length, the doors are closed and locked, and in closing the door 1'2, thelocking device will be rendered again effective to check the feed roll at the end ofeach complete revolution. Y

We claim as our invention:

1. A towel holder having a rotary feed rol mounted therein for feeding out predetermined lengths of towel, a device movable with the roll for stopping said roll at the completion of each predetermined movement thereof and shiftable means associated with the cabinet for holding said stopping device in inoperative positionito allow unlimited rotation of said feed roll.

2. A towel holder and a delivery feed roll mounted therein, over which the web of clean towel may be fed to the user, a bolt mounted to move transversely of said roll, a stop in the path of said bolt, means for moving said bolt to its release position and means associated with the cabinet for holding said bolt temporarily in its release position, thereby permitting said feed roll to be operated continuo-usly. t

3. A towel holder and a feed roll mounted therein, a locking bolt transversely slidable in said feed roll, a stop in the path of said bolt to be engaged thereby for locking said feed roll against rotary movement, an oscillating bar adapted to engage and move said bolt to its release position, means associated with the cabinet for operating said bar and means for temporarily preventing said bolt from engaging said stop and thus allowing continuous and uninterrupted rotation of said roll.

4. A towel holder and a delivery feed roll mounted therein, having a roughened surface over which the web of clean towel is delivered to the user, a bolt mounted to move transversely of said roll, a stop in the path of said bolt, means for moving said bolt to its release position, and a slide adapted to be moved into the path of said bolt to prevent it from engaging said stop, whereby said feed roll may be operated continuously.

5. A towel cabinet having an opening in its wall, and a door therefor, a feed roll mounted in said cabinet and over which the web of clean towel is delivered to the user, said feed roll being exposed when said door is open, a device for normally locking said feed roll against movement, a stop in the path of said locking device and means connected with said door and adjusted by the movement of said door to its open position to prevent the engagement of said locking device with said stop.

6. A towel cabinet having an opening in its wall and a door therefor, a feed roll having a roughened surface over which the web of clean towel is delivered to the user, a bolt and a stop therefor normally locking said feed roll against movement, means for moving said bolt to its release position for freedom of revolution of said feed roll, and a slide connected with said door and positioned by the opening of said door to prevent the engagement of said bolt with said stop.

FRANK M. STEINER. ALBERT L. OVERHOLT. 

